Buffing-machine.



E.E.LANE., BUFFING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG- 3, I912- memed Jan. 18, 1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

WI/E/VTU/Z 1 Fig.1. 63 2 E. E. LANE.

BUFFING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 3. m2.

1,168,514, Pat entd Jan. 16, 1916.

' 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2- l I/TA/E fg WVE/VTU/F.

E. E. LANE.

BUFFING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 3, 1912.

1,168,514., Patented Jan. 18, 1916. r

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

l V/T/VESSES. /A/l/EA/TUH %M 46m 1 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELMER E. LANE, OF BEVERLY, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR T0 UNITED SHOE MACHINERY COMPANY, OF PATERSON, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

To all whoin'z't may concern Be it known that. I, ELMER E. LANE, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Beverly, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain Improvements in Bufling-Machines, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like reference characters on the drawings indicating like parts in the several figures.

This invention relates to buiiing machines and isherein illustrated asembodied in a machine for buffing soles, box toes and similar articles which are to be used in'the manufacture of boots and shoes.

Hitherto in machines of this class the leather piece has been passed first between a feed roll and a bufiing roll whereby the buffing operation has been performed and then between a presser roll and abrush whereby the dust that clung to the leather piece has been removed. It has been found, however, first, that the forward end of the leather piece tended to curl up after emerging from between the feed roll and the bufling roll and, second, that some of the leather pieces were so short that their forward ends failed to reach the presser roll and the brush by the time their rear ends had emerged from between the feed roll and buffing roll. In either case the leather piece was not fed properly through the machine.

In order to overcome these disadvantages and to improve the machines of this type generally, one feature of the present invention consists in providing a guide between the bufling means, constituted in the illustrative machine by the feed roll and buffing roll, and the cleaning means constituted by the presser roll and brush. This guide may take the form of a plate or roll, and in the illustrated embodiment of the invention is mounted so as to be moved toward andfrom the work in unison with the feed roll. It is desirable in machines of this class that the feed roll be yieldingly pressed to- Specification of Letters Patent.

BUFFING-MACHINE.

Patented Jan. 18, 1916.

Application filed August 3, 1912. Serial No. 713,115.

ward the buffing roll and at the same time be adjustable toward and from said bufling roll. When, however, stops are provided one at each end of the feed roll arranged to contact with the bearings of said roll and thereby limit the movements caused by thesprings, it has been diflicult to insure that the axis of the presser roll should be parallel in its various adjusted positions to that of the bufling roll. In the illustrated machine these stops are dispensed with and a single stop provided which contacts with the treadle by which the presser roll may be raised.

This stop is adjustable, and by adjusting it the distance between the feed roll and the bufiing roll may be varied without disturbing the parallel relation of the axis of the two rolls.

These and other features of the invention including certain details of construction and combinations of parts will be described in connection with the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring now to the accompanyin drawings, Figure 1 is a, front elevation o a machine in which the present invention is embodied; Fig. 2 is a section of the upper portion of the machine; Fig. 3 is an elevation hereinafter described. With this movement of the shaft 4 the buffing roll is given a compound abrading movement such that different portions of its acting surface travel in intersecting paths, the result being that a very smooth surface is imparted to the work. The side plates 6 rest upon a base plate 8 and are secured thereto by bolts 10,

ing across the top portions of the guideways said base plate 8 being'secured upon the top portion of a casting 12 which is part of the base of the frame of the machine.

The feed roll 14 is arranged above the buffing roll and comprises a sleeve 16 of yielding material, such as rubber, mounted upon a metal core 18 secured upon a horizontal shaft 20 which in turn is mounted in tubular sleeves 22 which are carried :by blocks 24 slidably mounted in vertical guideways 26 in the side plates 6. The blocks 24 are yieldingly pressed toward the bufling roll by means of springs 28 confined between the blocks and the lower, ends of adjusting screws 30 threaded in cap pieces 32 extend- 26 and secured to the side plates 6,

The work support comprises a flat plate 38 which is arranged to support the work in position to be fed between the feed roll and the bufling roll and to coiperate with the feed roll to position the work in proper relation to the bufling roll. The'plate 38 extends into close proximity to the surface.

of the feed roll so that the article to be buli'ed is pressed between the *roll and the said plate and its lower surface brought into a position to be acted upon by -the"bufiing roll. The position of the lower surface of the article is determined. by the plate 38 which is adapted to act as a gage plate to .maintain the article in position to be op- '35. -from the periphery-of the feed roll, and for erated upon regardless of irregularities in its shape or thickness. The plate 38 is arranged:- for vertical adjustment toward and adjustment in the general direction of the line of feed of the work in order that the plate may be so positioned that the work will be subjected to the proper degree of pressure. as it passes between the feed roll' and the plate. To this end the plate 38 is adjustably secured upon thetop of a support 40 by screws 42 extending through slots in the plate and into the support, the slots beingso arranged that upon loosening the screws the plate may. be adjusted relatively to its support in a direction at a slight angle to'the line of feed of the work. It will thus ,be evident that the work is distorted by being gripped between the plate 38 and the yielding feed roll and that while so held the reciprocating motion ofthe bufling roll will not move it laterally. The support 40 is mounted upon the top of a vertical plate 43 Y which is removably clamped against vertilower ends against the base plate 8 of .the machine. With this arrangement by turning the screws 50 the vertical plate 43 may be adjusted vertically and consequently the v work" supporting plate 38' which is carried thereby may be ad usted toward and from the periphery of the feed roll. As is usual in machines of this class the rolls are inclosed in a hood which is connected with the exhaust pipe whereby. the dust generated during the operation of the machine is removed. In the present case the plate 43 forms a portion of the wall of the hood, and in order to prevent the' suction from being broken by the raising of the plate 43, a

" feeding the work. The shaft 54 ismounted in bearing blocks 56 which are arranged in guideways formed in the side plates '6 of the machine. Each of the blocks 56'is provided with a threaded rod 58 which extends down wardly through openings formed in the bottom walls of the guideways and into re cesses 60 arranged below the guideways. A pair of'nuts 62 and 63 threaded upon each of the rods 58 and arranged to engage the top and bottom surface of each recess 60' serve to secure the blocks 56 in adjusted position. With tl'llS'OOIlStI'ilCtlOIl the blocks 56 may be adjusted to bring the brush into proper position with respect to the lower surface of'the work after the work has been subjected to the operation of the bufling roll.

To hold the work in operative engagement with the brush during its movement there is provided a freely rotatable roller 62 arranged substantially over the brush. The roller 62 is secured upon a shaft 64 rotatably mounted in bearings carried by a yoke 66 the arms of which are provided with split clamps .70 by which they are respectively clamped upon the tubular sleeves 22, the ends of said sleeves being turned down to form cylindrical bearings for said clamps. Upon loosening the clamps 70 the yoke 66 may be swung about the sleeves 22 to place the roller 62 in adjusted position. In order to prevent the .stock from curling up between the feed roll 16 and the brush roll '62 a guide 61 having upwardly extending ends 63 is'clamped to the'bar 66 by bolts 65; and in order that said guide may be adjusted to provide for wear of the roll or for stock of different thickness, slots 67 are formed in said ends.

In bufling leather articles it is sometimes desirable to bufi' only a portion of the article. Accordingly, the present machine has provision whereby a portion of the work may be passed through the machine without being bufi'ed and thereafter the remaining portion brought into operative relation with the bufling tool. In accordance with a convenient construction there is provided means under control of the operator for moving the feed roll away from the bufling. roll in order that the portion of the work which is not to be buffed may be passed by hand between the rolls and out of contact with the bufling roll, the construction being such that thereafter the feed roll may be lowered to press the remaining portion of the work into contact with the bufiing roll.

The means for raising the feed roll comprises a suitable treadle 72 connected by a pair of links 74, one upon each side of the machine, with the front ends of horizontally disposed levers pivoted at their middle por tions, as indicated at 76, upon opposite sides of the base plate 8, and links 78 pivotally connecting the inner ends of the horizontal levers with the blocks 24 which carry the feed roll. With this construction it will be seen that upon pressing the treadle 72 the feed roll will be raised in opposition to the springs 28, and upon releasing the treadle said springs will move the feed roll into operative relation to the bufling roll. It is' very desirable that the feed roll 14 be adjustable toward and from the bufling' roll 2 and that the axis of said feed rollbe maintained at all times parallel to that of the bufiing roll. Accordingly a set screw 69 threaded through a boss 71 on the frame of the machine and provided with a lock nut 73 is arranged to contact with the upper surface of the treadle 72 and thereby limit the downward movement of the feed roll 14. In order to permit the proper adjustment of the feed roll to bring it into parallel relation with the buifingroll turn buckles 176 are provided in the links 74. With this construction after the feed roll has once been placed in parallel relation with the bufiing roll by manipulating the turn buckles, said parallel relation will be maintained in all the adjustments of the screw 69.

It sometimes happens that the piece of stock tends to turn downwardly after its front end emerges from between the feed roll and bufling roll; and in order to provide for such a contingency a support 75-provided with perforations '77 is mounted in the rear of said rolls, the purpose of said perforations being to permit any dust which may be carried on to the support to be drawn away. It should here be noted that the support 75 has a downwardly extending portion which serves as a guard to keep the .dust from being drawn into the brush;

The mechanism for operating the moving parts of the machine may be of any convenient type and will be briefly indicated. The mechanism for rotating the bufling roll comprising a pulley 97 secured on the end of the shaft 4, a pulley 98 upon the power shaft 100 and a belt passing over these pulleys. A belt tightening pulley 102 positioned to engage the face of the driving belt is arranged to be adjusted by a hand lever 104. For rotating the feed roll there is provided a sprocket secured upon the power shaft 100, a large sprocket secured upon the horizontal shaft 110, a chain 108 passing over these sprockets, a pinion 112 secured upon the end of the shaft 110, a gear 114 meshing with said pinion and secured upon the end of a shaft 116, a sprocket secured upon this shaft, a sprocket 120 rotatably mounted upon a stud secured in one of the side plates 6, a chain 122 passing over these sprockets, a small sprocket arranged for rotation with the sprocket 120, a sprocket 126 secured upon the end of the feed roll shaft and a chain 124connecting these sprockets. The mechanism for rotating the brush and the fan comprises a pulley 128 secured upon-the end of the power shaft 100, a pulley 130 secured upon the fan shaft and a belt passing over these pulleys. The power shaft is provided with the usual fast and loose pulleys 136 and 138 and belt shifter 140. The driving connections have been indicated briefly and have not been illustrated more fully since they have been used hitherto, are ordinary mechanical contrivances, and their details form no part of the present invention. It will be understood, however, that the feed roll and buffing roll are rotated in opposite directions as is usual and that the chain drive of the feed roll permits said roll' to be raised when desired by depressing the treadle 72.

To .impart a longitudinal reciprocating movement to the bufiing roll there is secured upon the end of the shaft 116 acam disk 144 having a cam groove that receives a roller 146 carried by the lower end of a cam lever 148 pivoted intermediate its ends between lugs 150 projecting from the frame of the machine. The upper end of the lever 148 is provided with rollers 152 arranged to engages the sides of the groove formed in a hub 154 carried on the end of the bufiing roll shaft. With this construction the bufiing roll reciprocates longitudinally as it rotates so that different portions of its acting surface travel in intersecting paths. Where one roller is used in place of two rollers 152 the direction of rotation of. said roller is reversed every time the roller is moved into contact with oneor the other side of the groove in which it runs There is thus produced a great amount of friction winch rapidly wearstheparts. .With the presentconstruction it will benoted that the rollers 152 rotate-in opposite directions but that i f each roller considered by itself rotates in one direction only.

The urpose of the sole guide 61 shown in Fig. 2 as been referred to above. It somes times happens, however, that short'pieces,

such,-for example, as box toes, are operated upon which are not long enough to extend from the feed roll 16 to the brush roll 62 and for that reason are not fed properly to the machine. In such cases, or in allcases, if

' preferred, the mechanism illustrated in Figs.

5'and 6 may be substituted for the yoke 66 and the parts carried by it.

A yoke 121'is provided with split bearings,

123 similar to the bearings 70 and similarly held upon the sleeve 22 by pinch screws 125,

and a second yoke 127' has split bearings, 129 at the ends of its arms which are'heldloosely upon the hubs of the roll by' screws 131 so that said second yoke is freely movable about the ends of the shaft 137 are rotatably held. Y

a set screw 145 b'eingthreaded through said extension and abutting the surface of the the axis of the shaft 29. The yoke 121 carries a roll 133 which is similar to the roll 62 and similarly mounted.- Between the rolls 14 and'l33 is a guide in the form of an auxiliary guide roll 135; and in-order thatthis roll may be driven from the feed'roll 14 and at the same time may be adjusted toward and from the work 'to compensate for wear of the feed roll or for the thickness of the stock,

, the following mounting. is provided.

The shaft 137 of the guide roll 135 is rotatably; mounted in arms 139 formed on the split bearings 129, said arms being thus a part of the yoke 127 and movable therewith.

The shaft 137 is also mounted in a third yoke 141 having arms provided with downward extensions 143 in the, lower ends of which The rear extension of the yoke 141 lies in a depression in the rear part of the yoke 121,

sible by manipulating the set screw 145 to' adjust the auxiliary guide roll 135 toward or from the stock. In order to drive said auxiliary roll135 an idle roll 155 has bearings 157 which are slidably mounted in slots 159 formed in the extensions 14 3 of the yoke 141,

set screws 161 being threaded through said yoke and extending into sockets in said bearings. This provides means for forcing'the 1,1es,o14.

idle roll 155 against the guide roll 1 35. Lateral movement of said idle roll to maintain it in contact with the feed roll 14 is brought about by springs 163 each having one end bearing against the hollow plunger 165 and the other end against the hollow adjusting screw 167. The plungers are slidable in sockets in the screws, and the screws are threaded into bores in the yoke 121. --With this construction the idle roll 155 may be adjusted to contact with the guide roll 135 in any of its positions by manipulating the set screw 161. g,

In order to insure that the materialshall lie flat during its passage through the-machine a presser 169 carried at the lower ends of adjusting screws 171 extends between the rolls 14 males; and a similar presser 173 carried by adjusting screws175 extends between the rolls 133 and 135.

The operation of the machine is as follows :'Ihe turnbuckles 76 are manipulated to adjust the axis of the feed roll 14 into a a position parallel to that of the bufling' roll 2, after which the set screw 69 is manipulated to set the rolls at the desired distance apart.

If the guide 61, shown in Fig. 2, is being used, said guide is adjustedvertically by loosening the bolts 65 and moving-the guide to theproper position. If the guide roll 135 shown in, Fig. 5 is being used the set screws 145 and-161 are manipulated to adjust said roll.. A sole or other article is then fed to the machine, being subjected first to the action of the buffing roll 2 and then to the action of the brush 52.

Although the invention has been set forth in connection with a particular machine, it

should. be understood that the invention is not limited in the scope of its application to theHparticular machine'shown and described.

aving thus described my invention,- what I claim as new and desire to secure by Let-, tersPatent of the United States is I 1. In a leather bufling machine the combi:

nation with a bufiing roll and a feed roll adjustable toward and from said buffing roll, of a guide roll located at the rear of the feed rollandadjustable therewith.

2. In a leather bufling machine the combination with a bufling roll and a feed roll adjustable toward and from said .bufiing roll, of a guide roll located at the rear of the feed'roll and adjustable therewith and means for adjusting said guide roll with respect to said feedroll. s

3. In a'leather buf'fing'machine the combination with a buiiing roll, a feed roll and bearings for said feed roll which are adjustable toward and from said buifing roll,

of a yoke fast to said bearings, a guide car-' ried by said yoke and means for adjusting said guide with respect to said bearings.

4. In a leather buffing machine the combi nation. with a bufiing roll, a feed roll and bearings for said feed roll which are adjustable toward and from said bufiing roll, of a yoke fast to said bearings, an auxiliary roll carried by said yoke and means for adjusting said auxiliary roll with respect to said bearings.

5. In a leather buffing machine the combination with a bufling roll, a feed roll and bearings for said feed roll which are adjustable toward and from said bufiing roll, of a yoke fast to said bearings, an auxiliary roll carried by said yoke and a, presser locafiad between said feed roll and auxiliary ro 6. In a leather bufiing machine the combination with a butting roll, a feed roll and bearings for said feed roll which are adjustable toward and from said bufiing roll, of a yoke fast to said bearings, a guide roll carried'by said yoke, means for adjusting said guide roll with respect to said bearings, and means for rotating said guide roll from said feed roll.

7. In a leather bufiing machine the combination with a bufiing roll, a feed roll and bearings for said feed roll which are adjustable toward and from said bufling roll, of a yoke fast to said bearings, a guide roll carried by said yoke, means for adjusting said guide roll with respect to said bearings, an idle roll between said feed roll and guide roll and means for adjusting said idle roll.

8. In a leather bufling machine the combination with a bufiing roll, a feed roll and bearings for said feed roll which are adjustable toward and from said buffing roll, of a yoke fast to said bearings, a roll-supporting member loose upon said bearings, a spring connecting said yoke and member and a guide roll carried by said member.

9. In a leather bufling machine the combination with a bufling roll, a feed roll and,

bearings for said feed roll which are adjustable toward and'from said buffing roll, of a yoke fast to said bearings, a roll-supporting member loose upon said bearings, a spring connecting said yoke and member, a guide roll carried by said member, and means for adjusting said guide roll with respect to said member.

10. In a leather bufiing machine the combination with a bufiing roll, a feed roll and bearings for said feed rollwhich are adjustable toward and from said bufiing roll,

of'a yoke fast to said bearings and a rollsupporting member in the form of a twopart yoke angularly movable about said.

bearings, a shaft connecting the parts of said two-part yoke and a guide roll mounted on said shaft.

' 11. In a leather'bufling machine the combination with a bufling roll, of a feed roll andbearings for said feed roll which are adjustable toward and from said buffing roll, of a yoke fast to said bearings, a roll-supporting member in the form of a two-part yoke angularly movable about said bearings,

a spring connecting said yoke and supporting member, a shaft connecting the parts of said two-part yoke, and a guide roll mounted on said shaft.

12. In a leather bufling machine the combination with a bufling roll, a feed roll adjustable toward and from said bufling roll, a brush to clean the surface of the work after it has been bufl'ed, a roll arranged to press the work against the brush, said brush roll being adjustable with said feed roll, of a guide adjustable with said feed roll and brush roll, and means for adjusting said guide with respect to said rolls.

' 13. In a leather bufiing machine, a buffing roll, a feed roll, springs tending to move i said. feed' roll toward said bufiing roll and means for limiting said movement, said means comprising a treadle connected with said feed roll and a stop for limiting the movement of said treadle.

14. In a leather buffing machine, a buffing roll, a feed roll, bearings for said feed roll, a treadle, means for connecting said bearings with said treadle whereby movement of the treadle moves the bearings, and an adjustable stop to limit the movement of the treadle and thereby of the bearings. I

15. In a leather buffing machine, a bufiing roll, a feed roll, yielding means for causing one of said rolls to move toward the other, a treadle, means for connecting said movable roll with said treadle whereby depression ofsaid treadle moves said roll, and a stop arranged to contact with said treadle.

v 16. In a leather buffing machine the combination with a feed roll, a bufling roll, a

. work support and a hood inclosing said rolls,

said hood comprising an adjustable plate upon which said support is mounted, of means for automatically lengthening and shortening said plate according to the direction of the adjusting movement.

17. In a leather bufling machine the combination with a feed roll, a bufling roll, a work support, and a hood inclosing said roll, said hood comprising an adjustable plate upon which said support is mounted, of a gate mounted in the lower edge of said plate buifing roll and means for reciprocating said In testimony whereof I have signed my roll, said means comprising a member conname to this specification in the presence of 10 nectlid Witfi said roll and provided wlilth a 'two subscribing witnessesfl v trac ,a ro e1: arrange to contact wit one 5 wall of said track, a second roller arranged i A to contact withthe other Wall, and means Witnesses: v for moving said rollers bodily to cause them CHESTER E. Rooms, to be alternatively operative. LAURA M. Goomzmon. 

